1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of hand-held medical monitoring. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a hand-held computer adapted for EKG measurements.
Numerous attempts have been made at medical monitoring. Prior art devices for medical monitoring, including electrocardiographs. An electrocardiograph is an instrument used in the detection and diagnosis of heart abnormalities that measures electrical potentials on the surface of a body and is capable of generating a record of electrical currents associated with the heart muscles activities.
2) Problems With the Art
One problem associated with electrocardiographs (EKG) is the high cost of such units. Due to the high costs of EKGs, they are not always available where they could be used. Some emergency response units and other first responders do not have EKG units available. When EKG units are available to first responders, valuable, potentially life saving, information can be determined prior to the patient""s arrival at a medical facility.
A further problem with the use of EKGs by first responders is that the first responders are normally not fully qualified to evaluate a patient""s medical condition from reading an EKG. Therefore, even if an emergency responder had an EKG available to them, such as in an ambulance, the EKG could not be used in a manner that would help the patient in the most effective way.
This is particularly true where the EKG is configured to have more than a minimum number of leads. For example, the EKG can have twelve leads. Not all emergency response units are equipped with a twelve lead EKG. There are substantial benefits to using a twelve-lead system in prehospitalization care. For example, a twelve lead EKG may detect certain conditions that although initially experienced by the patient are not detectable later. One example of such a transient condition is ischemia. This decrease in the blood supply to the heart is best detected immediately at the time of transport of the patient rather than later at a hospital where the condition may no longer be detectably present. Therefore, monitoring using an EKG at the time of first response is beneficial, but has not yet been fully adopted.
Further, even when EKG monitoring takes place at the site of the first response or in transit to a hospital, the information that is collected is not necessarily used. Currently, an EKG trace can be transmitted to a hospital via specialized equipment. This equipment may be cost prohibitive. Further, there is no guarantee that there is a doctor at the hospital that is free to monitor the EKG received by the hospital.
Therefore problems regarding EKG units remain.
It is therefore an object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide for a hand-held medical monitoring device.
It is a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide a hand-held medical monitoring device that performs the function of an EKG.
A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention in the provision of an EKG device capable of using 10 electrodes to provide 12 lead EKG.
A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide an EKG device capable of wirelessly transmitting measurements to a medical professional.
It is a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide a hand-held medical monitoring device capable of sensing oxygen levels in a patient.
It is a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide a hand-held medical monitoring system that may be used to remotely monitor medical conditions of a patient.
A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide for a hand-held medical monitoring device that is low cost.
Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide a system for hand-held medical monitoring that a doctor to remotely monitor medical conditions with patient from any location.
It is a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide a system for hand-held medical monitoring that allows a doctor to remotely monitor a patient without requiring highly expensive and specialized equipment.
As a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide a hand-held medical monitoring device that is capable of improving the quality of prehospitalization care.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the specification and claims.
One aspect of the present invention is a system for hand-held medical monitoring. The system comprises a plurality of EKG capable electrodes, an analog to digital converter electrically connected to the plurality of electrodes and having a plurality of channels, a control circuit electrically connected to the analog to digital converter, a serial transceiver electrically connected to the control circuit, a hand-held personal digital assistant electrically connected to the serial transceiver and adapted for wireless communication, and a set of instructions stored on the hand-held personal digital assistant for receiving measurements from the plurality of electrodes and displaying measurements from the plurality of electrodes and wirelessly transmitting measurements from one or more of the plurality electrodes. The system allows for hand-held medical monitoring including both EKG functions as well as an optional function for measuring oxygen saturation. The invention allows for a plurality of electrodes to be used, including a 10 electrode configuration. The personal digital assistant of the present invention is programmed to receive, display, and store the EKG measurements and optionally the oxygen saturation measurements.
According to the system of the invention, a remotely located personal digital assistant can be used. The remote personal digital assistant is programmed to wirelessly receive information from the hand-held personal digital assistant that is connected to a patient. On the remote personal digital assistant, the same information displayed and/or stored on the first personal digital assistant may be displayed and/or stored.
Another aspect of the present invention involves a method for hand-held medical monitoring. The method includes transducing a plurality of EKG signals in a corresponding plurality of EKG electrodes adapted for coupling to a human body, converting the EKG signals to a digital signal using an analog to digital converter having multiple channels, receiving the digital signal at a first hand-held personal digital assistant adapted for wireless communication, displaying EKG measurements corresponding to the EKG electrodes on the screen of the first hand-held personal digital assistant, wirelessly transmitting the EKG measurements, wirelessly receiving the transmitted EKG measurements on a second personal digital assistant, and displaying the EKG measurements on the second personal digital assistant.
The present invention is particularly advantageous where a first responder can connect the device to a patient and then transmit the readings to a remote personal digital assistant such as a doctor may have available, no matter where they are located. The doctor can then evaluate the condition of the patient prior to the patient""s arrival at a medical facility.